







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | No te ves como un profesor de Inglés, en mi opinión. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, el teriyaki es japonés, nosotros estamos en un restaurante chino. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | No dije que era tu culpa, pero es tu turno ahora... |
| It's the second one from the top. | Es el segundo desde arriba. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Hay muchos más, pero creo que gumtree.com es el mejor. |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Espera, aquí hay otro sitio web que dice... |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | Es más que suficiente, también necesito ajo. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Mi querida esposa siempre me dice lo ricos que son sus rollitos primavera. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sí, ¡es una buena idea! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 grados deberían estar bien. |
| What's the date today? | ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? |
| How is your cat? | ¿Cómo va la situación de tu gato? |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Hola, perdona, llego un poco tarde. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | ¿Tienes un cigarrillo? |
| I feel hungry, too. | Tengo hambre también. |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Voy a mirar de nuevo, ¡solo hay dos tenedores y una cucharilla! |
| The rice section is over there. | La sección de arroces está por allí. |
| When I have free time. | Cuando tengo tiempo libre. |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Realmente no me siento con ganas de unirme a ellas. |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Supongo que para ti no pasa el tiempo cuando no estoy contigo. |